T Bone
Well-known member
The kids were out of school Friday, so I took Nathaniel (10), and Sam (8) to the southwest corner of the state to hunt antelope. We had tags for 1 buck and 1 doe. The goal was to take a mature buck with the boys having front row seats. Land was public access. We had until 3 p.m. then had to get back to town for Sam's soccer game.
There were plenty of animals. We could have tagged out from the road but I wanted them to experience the stalk. We'd walk to vantage points, locate the rutting bucks and plan a stalk.
On the first vantage point we saw antelope, but what really got the boys fired up was a huge prairie dog town. We walked back to the car, traded out the 270 for their .22 and hiked back to the town. The boys waged war on them with the single shot for over an hour.
The prairie dogs wised up and went underground. We hiked back out and went back to antelope.
1st stalk: 1 nice buck guarding 20+ does from 4 small bucks. 600 yard stalk. They saw us and ran over the hill.
2nd stalk: 1 nice buck and 7 does. 800 yard stalk. We get to about 400 yards and wanted to close another 200 when a lone buck comes ripping by us at 150 yards and skids to a stop to look at us. I think "dead buck" and drop the hammer on an empty chamber.....He races out to 350 yards and I shoot and miss clean.
3rd stalk: 1 nice buck and 3 does. 600 yard stalk. We ease over the hill to find them bedded at 150 yards. I get set up on the shooting sticks and tell Sam to wave his hat. Sam waves, the antelope stand up. I shoot, and the shot flattens the buck. The does walk away. Buck gets up and runs after them! We give chase. The buck is slowing down and is wobbly but he is still running. I shoot again, the bullet thwacks, hair flies and he's down for good. The boys and I hi five and we inspect him. Nothing huge but good enough.
The oldest is most fascinated with the animal. He looks and touches it's horns, hooves, eyes, and entry/exit wounds. Sam just wants to go kill another.
On the way out we passed on a couple easy does. One antelope is enough for me. A great day in the field for them.
There were plenty of animals. We could have tagged out from the road but I wanted them to experience the stalk. We'd walk to vantage points, locate the rutting bucks and plan a stalk.
On the first vantage point we saw antelope, but what really got the boys fired up was a huge prairie dog town. We walked back to the car, traded out the 270 for their .22 and hiked back to the town. The boys waged war on them with the single shot for over an hour.
The prairie dogs wised up and went underground. We hiked back out and went back to antelope.
1st stalk: 1 nice buck guarding 20+ does from 4 small bucks. 600 yard stalk. They saw us and ran over the hill.
2nd stalk: 1 nice buck and 7 does. 800 yard stalk. We get to about 400 yards and wanted to close another 200 when a lone buck comes ripping by us at 150 yards and skids to a stop to look at us. I think "dead buck" and drop the hammer on an empty chamber.....He races out to 350 yards and I shoot and miss clean.
3rd stalk: 1 nice buck and 3 does. 600 yard stalk. We ease over the hill to find them bedded at 150 yards. I get set up on the shooting sticks and tell Sam to wave his hat. Sam waves, the antelope stand up. I shoot, and the shot flattens the buck. The does walk away. Buck gets up and runs after them! We give chase. The buck is slowing down and is wobbly but he is still running. I shoot again, the bullet thwacks, hair flies and he's down for good. The boys and I hi five and we inspect him. Nothing huge but good enough.
The oldest is most fascinated with the animal. He looks and touches it's horns, hooves, eyes, and entry/exit wounds. Sam just wants to go kill another.
On the way out we passed on a couple easy does. One antelope is enough for me. A great day in the field for them.
